“MIA”

It's, it's something you learned early on that it was a situation and you couldn't control the situation. You did was, you did what was, what was to do. If they all come back that was fine, if there was one or two missing that's, that's one of the things you expect. There's nothing you can do about it, you, you know, you certainly, you weren't callous about it, you certainly you know, it was a good friend lost or a good, good machine gone or a good crew that... But it's like any other hazzard, it's..., missing in action or...

Interviewer: But none the less these were people, the pilots, the aircrew, they weren't just numbers.

They were, they were bunk mates and friends, and they were workmates and, but not too, not too different than a family. Not blood family, but you know like a, or a household or a, maybe a small village you know it's a.. You knew when they were missing, you knew who they were and what they, what they were. You'd know, know some of the family maybe, or have played poker with them or you know, it was all just a... This word ‘missing' just became a, just a sad incident that you knew was happening. Missing, missing in action, that was it called. Sometimes there would be one or two crews wouldn't get back and other times it would be days and days and everybody would make it, so it's... Missing in action had all sorts of reasons, he could have been shot down, or he could be lost, or he could be, have problems of his own or, you know all sorts of.... But missing in action was the result, the result, the rest really didn't matter that much.